WindizUpdate

WindizUpdate was an unofficial web-based software update service for Microsoft Windows operating systems provided by 62NDS Solutions Ltd, a third-party from Microsoft. WindizUpdate is intended to be an alternative to Microsoft's Windows Update web site. It operated for two years before shutting down due to lack of developers.
Differences
The primary difference between WindizUpdate and Windows Update was that WindizUpdate aimed to be more compatible with the Mozilla Firefox and Opera web browsers, ignoring compatibility with Internet Explorer completely. In addition, it did not require a Windows Genuine Advantage check on a system; as a result, installations of Windows that were using a blacklisted product key, often because the software was pirated, were able to make use of the service.
Update Process
Before downloading the updates you were given the option to download and install updates or to just download them without installing. It was also possible to view update details or manually download them from external links. Updates were always downloaded from Akamai or Microsoft, similar to when one downloads updates from Microsoft, a fact confirmed by many users suspicious of the service.
Disadvantages
WindizUpdate, being a third-party service, had some disadvantages. Specifically, the integrity of the browser plug-in and delivered product updates had no official guarantees. That was a potential security risk, as even though Windiz instructed browsers to download updates directly from Microsoft/Akamai, obtaining updates outside of Microsoft is generally discouraged. The service also suffered a slight delay against Windows Update since it used its own patch database. Windiz also only downloaded updates for English versions of Windows and was difficult to uninstall; the instructions for manually removing the Windiz plugin were incomplete and left, among other things, a redirect from the official Windows Update site to the WindizUpdate site intact.

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